Temecula Olive Oil Company

Our school group went on a great field trip this month to the groves of the Temecula Olive Oil Company.  I had visited their store in Old Town Temecula and purchased olive oil there, but I had no idea just how fascinating a trip it would be.  We were met at the grove by one of the owners, Tom.  Tom gave us a quick history of the olive trees in California and then took us out to the groves to explain more about the trees and the process of growing, grafting, and harvesting the olives.

One of the  stories the kids are still talking about was about a man who came into the store and told them how he processed olives…for eating, not for oil.  I’m sure you realize, olives are extremely bitter and must go through some sort of process to make them edible.  One method is just to soak them in water, rinse and repeat, over, and over, and over again.  Well, this gentleman accomplished this by putting his olives in a mesh bag in the tank of his toilet for a month.  The water there is clean, and it gets replaced regularly.  Needless to say, the kids were intrigued.

Next we went into the pressing shed, not sure if that is exactly what it was called, but close enough.  There we learned about the process of getting the oil from the olives and how all parts of the process are then used on the ranch.  The first, gentle press produces the consumable olive oil.  The next step, separating the olive oil from the water that is present, produces water that is then used as an herbicide on the ranch.  Next the olives are put through a harder press that produces more oil that is used for bath products and to fuel the tractor and truck.  Lastly, what is left is mulch.  Talk about not wasting anything!

Now, I’m greatly simplifying what we learned, which was really fascinating…but the bottom line is, you should buy California olive oil. When olive oil is grown for the markets in Europe it has to meet stringent requirements…the oil that is rejected is then sent to Italy where it is repackaged, sometimes cut with canola oil, and shipped to the U.S.   This oil, as an import, is not subject to the quality controls it would have to meet in Europe. We are getting the reject, sometimes rancid oils.  (I sound like a commercial…lol)

However, olive oil grown in California has to meet the same, if not more stringent guidelines.  To prove that what we are used to is not the same quality as what is sold by California growers, we were able to do a tasting.  Yep, it’s true.  The name brand from the market smelled remarkably like playdough, and the other  olive oil had a fruity smell.  The kids were champs about tasting a variety of oils.

After being convinced of the superiority of their olive oil we headed into Old Town Temecula to visit their store.

It was a fun, educational day.

If you want to check out their oils yourself you can head into either the store in Temecula or San Diego…or go to their website.

Field Trips

I can’t really emphasize enough what a critical role field trips have played in my sons education. I know sometimes it can seem that the effort outweighs the benefits. Field trips take time away from your regular schoolwork, they add an additional cost, and they often feel inconvenient as we struggle to fit all we need to do into our week. Believe me, I get all of that. However, I believe the benefits far outweigh the ‘costs’.

You are all familiar with the ‘law of the farm’. It’s a concept that is very important in education. Basically, the idea is that, as a farmer you can’t wait until it’s time to harvest to plant your crop. You need to consistently be doing the daily chores if you hope to have a bountiful harvest at the end.

Field trips are like that. Each individual one is not going to be a life changing experience, however, 12 years of getting out of the house and into museums, nature centers, parks, symphonies, plays and all the rest add up to an enrichment of your child’s life that cannot be gained in any other way.

As my kids are coming to the end of their homeschooling days I can more clearly see the benefit of all the time, energy and money we spent going on various day trips. One of my sons, in his college entrance exam, used examples of all the places he had been on field trips to demonstrate how, as a homeschooler, he had received a rich education. It was interesting to me, the trips that he highlighted. I’d had no idea they had made an impact.

Sure, the boys probably giggled at the naked statues at the art museum, chatted with their friends while a docent was talking, or mindlessly played with the science exhibits without reading the information. However, they also, with continued, regular exposure, came to appreciate fine art, love poetry, respect nature, and comprehend the scope of history. I feel sure that it was the routine exposure to the world beyond our door, that has contributed to their thoughtful, seeking attitudes as adults.

A natural outgrowth of their homeschool days has been the choices they have made since leaving home. Decisions to study abroad, try new things, meet new people…it’s all part of the whole. Education is so much more than books and paper. Our children, to become life long learners, must be interested in what is beyond them, they must know that they don’t know, be intrigued by new ideas, new places, new people.

Field trips, even the simple trip to the library, plays an integral part in expanding our children’s horizons, their enjoyment of life and their ability to take delight in the familiar, as well as the exotic. I’m personally thrilled to see that my boys, now men, still enjoy a walk through the hills, a trip to pick apples, or listening to a book being read aloud. As a mom, there is comfort in knowing that as they finished high school they didn’t just have a solid academic foundation, but also the skills to enjoy living.

Masters of the Night: The True Story of Bats

Unfortunately, we don’t have time to go to the exhibit as a group, but for those of you who want to check it out, it looks like fun. The Discovery Center is in Santa Ana at 2500 North Main Street. For other information about the Discovery Center visit their homepage at http://www.discoverycube.org Here is the information from their website.

October 4, 2008 – January 4, 2009

Discovery Science Center is bringing the mystery surrounding bats out of the dark!

Bats are a mystery to most people. Very few have ever seen a bat up close. What little most people know comes from folklore, myth or superstition. The truth about bats is they are gentle, beneficial, and amazing animals. Their value has been overshadowed by their tainted reputation – a reputation based on ignorance and fear of the unknown. With lifelike cave piece sets, models and interactives, the ecological importance of bats is revealed, and visitors are given a true appreciation of the wonders of the bat world.

From medieval gothic lore to the beneficial nature of these agile creatures of the night, Masters of the Night: The True Story of Bats dispels misconceptions, while engaging children and adults alike. The exhibit brings the mystery surrounding these nocturnal creatures out of the dark. It’s the real story behind these fascinating animals and their unique appearance and skills.

Forever Free- Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation

Just a heads up that this exhibit will be at the Ronald Regan Presidential Library for the next month. We won’t be able to go there as a group, but it would be a great family trip.

Friday, August 22, 2008-Friday, October 24, 2008

Forever Free – Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation:

• On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed, “[that] all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State…shall be then, thenceforward… forever free.” And thus began the Emancipation Proclamation, a presidential order which freed slaves in those States that did not return to Union control. Forever Free – Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation, a new exhibition designed and staged by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, follows the story of slavery and Abraham Lincoln’s role in ending it.

Running August 22, 2008 through October 24, 2008, Forever Free will provide a glimpse into Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. The exhibit will include hand-signed letters and manuscripts by Abraham Lincoln, including a California Emancipation Proclamation – a copy printed in California in 1864 and signed by President Lincoln for commemorative purposes, one of only three known to exist. The exhibit will also display some of Abraham Lincoln’s personal effects, including a handkerchief monogrammed by Mary Todd Lincoln, an 1831 law book from the Lincoln-Herndon Law Office in Springfield, Illinois and a Paris porcelain purple ground chamber pot from the Lincoln White House. The exhibit will also contain a photographical timeline of slavery throughout the ages, beginning with the 1760 B.C. Code of Hammurabi which declared that slaves could be sold or inherited and ending with the proposal and ratification of the Constitution’s 13th amendment in 1865 stating that “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude…shall exist within the United States…”

TWELFTH NIGHT

Here are the details of our visit to see Twelfth Night at Cal Poly Pomona. We will be going on Friday Sept. 19th. We need to be at the school at 7:00.  I will need to reserve our seats so we will not be able to refund your money if you can’t go at the last minute. Tickets must be paid for by Tuesday classes before the performance…that would be Sept. 16th.  Students are $12 and Adults $15.  See you there.

Summer Newsletter

For those of you who are a part of Grace Prep School, the summer edition of our Newsletter has gone out. Let me know if you don’t receive it over the next few days. There are new registration forms, information for Fall classes, and an HSLDA form in each.

Teacher Orientation at the Getty

In order to attend our field trip to The Getty Villa several teachers from Grace are required to attend the Villa Teacher Orientation. The workshop is September 6th at 9 a.m to 1 p.m. During the workshop we will be introduced to the logistics of the Villa School Program and the Villa site, as well as the content and focus of the Villa’s collection of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman antiquities. The Villa is open until 5 and all participants are invited and encouraged to stay after the workshop to visit the galleries and gardens at their own pace.

Let me know if you are interested in attending.